284 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



THE AUTOMOBILE AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH 



P. G. HEINEMANN, Ph.D. 



UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO 



SANITARY science has done so much towards the improvement of 

 public welfare that it may not be surprising to credit the automo- 

 bile with having contributed to produce some results. The question may 

 be asked in what directions the public health is affected by the constantly 

 increasing use of automobiles and autotrucks. A few considerations will 

 make it apparent that horseless vehicles may bring about far-reaching 

 betterment in human conditions. The enormous increase in the use of 

 automobiles and autotrucks is bound to change some aspects of city life. 

 There are possibly three directions in which the public health may be 

 benefited, namely: (1) the improvement of streets and roads, resulting 

 in reducing the amount of dust in the air, (2) the disappearance of the 

 horse and horse stables from the neighborhood of human habitations and 

 the consequent reduction of flies and (3) the avoidance of direct infec- 

 tions of stablemen and veterinarians, who come in contact with horses. 



There are several reasons for the statement that improved street and 

 road pavements will benefit the public health. Bough pavements offer 

 opportunities for the accumulation of filth and dust. The stones, usually 

 thought necessary for horses to get a good foothold, leave holes and 

 crevices, where dust settles and the washings of streets from rain, snow 

 or the sprinkling cart remain until dried out. The dry material is then 

 dispersed by winds or passing vehicles and serves as means for carrying 

 germs. Modern improved roads, with hard surfaces and sprinkled with 

 oil instead of water, will prevent the rising of dust in large measure; 

 sweeping of streets will become superfluous and the atmosphere will be 

 purer and harbor relatively few microorganisms. 



One of the most serious disturbances to efficiency of sewerage systems 

 is the accumulation of dust, detritus and street sweepings, especially 

 after rain storms. It is obvious that this trouble may be largely reduced 

 through the improvement in pavements, which is advocated most en- 

 thusiastically by those interested in automobiles. Societies for road im- 

 provement are in existence to-day and the number is rapidly increasing. 

 In some states of the union a goodly number of magnificent state roads 

 has been built and although the movement is still in its infancy, there 

 can be little doubt of the final outcome in regard to comfort and health 

 resulting from the construction of good roads. 



